2009 Honda Accord Coupe

Not since the demise of the Acura NSX sports car have Honda products prompted observers to say “That’s a great-looking car, what is it?” Also not since the NSX went extinct have Hondas made BMW drivers look in their rearview mirror with surprise on a winding road and then squeeze the gas harder in response. But that’s exactly what the sleekly styled 271-horsepower Honda Accord Coupe accomplishes.

Coupe Du Jour

Say “Honda Accord” and most will think: boring but reliable and economical transportation. The 2009 Honda Accord Coupe requires new word associations: “attractive and fast.” The Accord Coupe is far more than an Accord with the rear doors welded shut. The most noticeable feature is its styling. For us, it’s like a cross between an Aston-Martin DB9 and a BMW 3 Series. It enjoys Honda’s tradition of durable attractiveness—styling that doesn’t go quickly out of style. Compared to the Accord Sedan, the Coupe is shorter and narrower. It has more aggressive suspension tuning and a lower final drive ratio for better acceleration.


Inside, the upscale feel continues. A multi-curved black dash is accented with a polished aluminum-colored band across the bottom. The top-of-the-line tester that Honda provided boasted supportive leather seats. Access to the rear is as easy as it gets with a coupe. Once seated, there’s adequate room for two average-sized adults. The Coupe has two fewer inches of headroom than the sedan, so basketball players and those with super-sized butts will bump their heads on the ceiling. The center rear seat is for urgent situations only.

Power Levels

Two engines are available: A 190-horse, DOHC, four-cylinder, and the potent 271-horse SOHC 3.5-liter V-6. The six, which features four valves per cylinder and variable valve timing, makes a strong 254 pound-feet of torque at a relatively high 5000 rpm. Transmission choices are a six-speed manual or a five-speed automatic. The automatic suffered from a bit of lag between when we asked for full throttle and the transmission downshifted to the needed gear. That gave the BMW too much of a head start. The four-cylinder with the five-speed manual gets 22 miles per gallon in the government’s city driving cycle and 31 on the highway. The V-6 automatic gets 19 in the city and 28 on the highway.


A limiting factor in the Accord Coupe’s ability to keep up with a 230-horse BMW 328 or a 300-horse 335 on winding roads are its less-than-sticky Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 all-season tires. Drive too deep into a tight corner before getting on the brakes and the anti-lock braking system will flutter like a frightened dove and the car will slide wide of your intended path. The Coupe’s handling seemed nicely balanced but we kept radically overestimating the level of grip. The Accord Coupe will require a switch to ultra-high-performance summer tires to keep up with a well-driven BMW. Since Michelin doesn’t make ultra-high performance tires in the Coupe’s P235/45R18 original equipment size, options include the Bridgestone Potenza RE050A or the low-cost Kumho Ecsta SPT. Fitted with either, the Honda-BMW match-up will be determined mainly by the drivers’ skills and determination. With sticky tires on the Honda, even 335i drivers will have to keep an eye on the rearview.